Changes
by goshinote
Summary: While relaying information about Naraku to Inuyasha and his companions, Kikyo finds herself spending the evening with them. After seeing Inuyasha and his relationship with his group members, she begins to realize how much things have changed in their lives...Complete


Hello, darlings! Here is a new one-shot I've had in mind for a couple weeks. There's no real time in which I've set the story…basically just know it's when Inuyasha and Kagome have gotten to be close friends. There's also a little deviance from the canon storyline, so just be aware of that.

(Side-note: I am in no way bashing Kikyo. This is solely to show my view of InuKag's development as friends/romantic interests and how I think Kikyo would react. Also, I purposefully didn't go into what is being discussed in the first part of the fic…I just wasn't sure what to make it lol please forgive me!)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Changes**

Kikyo sighed as she walked through the forest. She'd sent her soul collectors toward where she'd sensed Inuyasha a good ten minutes ago, but he had yet to arrive.

 _I guess it doesn't really matter,_ she thought to herself. _The information I have gotten involves his companions as well. They should all hear it together._

She heard the group before she saw them.

Well, what she heard was Inuyasha and Kagome arguing.

Before she could hear what they were fighting about, Inuyasha paused and turned in Kikyo's direction. Kagome's eyes followed her gaze, and her mouth snapped shut before she could release any more shouts.

"Kikyo," Inuyasha said.

"Inuyasha," Kikyo said.

After a moment, Kagome smiled at her pre-incarnation.

"Hi, Kikyo," she said politely. Kikyo peered at her.

 _I have to give her credit,_ she thought. _She's always been nice to me despite our…situation._

"Hello," Kikyo replied before she turned her attention back on Inuyasha. "Did you not see my soul collector?" Inuyasha looked uncomfortable.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I just…hadn't gotten a chance to go see you yet." Kikyo decided to ignore his uncertain words, along with the blush that had risen to Kagome's cheeks. She could guess what had been keeping him for so long.

"No matter," Kikyo replied, brushing it off. "The things about which I must inform you are vital to your entire group." Inuyasha nodded at her perplexedly, encouraging her to continue before Kikyo began talking.

Once the dead Miko had said her piece, Inuyasha and his companions pensively looked at her. She could tell they were all trying to process what she'd told them; she didn't blame them. Anything about Naraku was troubling to them all.

"Thank you, Lady Kikyo," the monk said respectfully, his head bowing to her.

"We appreciate it," the taijiya chimed in.

Kagome smiled at Kikyo. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked. "We have extra food." Kikyo hesitated rather uncomfortably. It wasn't that she _couldn't_ eat…she just didn't have to. She never felt pangs of hunger, so she just didn't have a reason to consume food.

Before she could decline, she saw the kindness in Kagome's eyes. As if her mouth had a mind of its own, she spoke.

"Sure."

Five minutes later, Kikyo was sitting around a fire with Inuyasha and his companions. She'd taken a seat next to Inuyasha, but left the proper amount of distance between them. Their past and previous engagement was no secret, but she felt it necessary to be as chaste as possible.

Which is why she was utterly shocked when Kagome quietly sat down next to Inuyasha, much like Kikyo herself had, but Kagome sat no more than six inches away from him.

Not only that…it looked like it was normal for them to sit so close together. Kagome appeared to sit down as if naturally and without even needing to think about it. Inuyasha smiled at her when she sat down next to him before going back to eating his dinner.

For the first time, Kikyo wondered if Inuyasha loved Kagome.

Kikyo peered at the fish on a stick in front of her trying to decide how she should go about eating it. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten; she had almost forgotten how to do it.

She snuck a peek at Kagome and saw her just bite a piece of the fish off of the stick.

Mimicking her movements, Kikyo bit a small piece of the fish off and began to chew it slowly.

The Miko had to stifle a sigh of complete pleasure. The food was delicious. She couldn't believe she hadn't eaten in so long. Kikyo couldn't believe that she forgot how good it felt to taste freshly-cooked food, especially in the presence of other people whom treated her kindly.

"Does it taste okay?" Kagome asked her in a friendly voice. Kikyo nodded before taking another bite.

"Thank you," she said, only half-caring that her mouth was partially full. Kagome smiled and looked pleased as Kikyo continued eating.

Kikyo saw Inuyasha whisper something to Kagome. A pang of jealously stabbed her heart as her reincarnation giggled quietly in response while Inuyasha smirked at her.

Kikyo looked away, feeling as though she'd invaded a private moment between the two. She wondered again if there were mutual feelings of love between the younger Miko and the hanyo.

She was fairly certain that Kagome loved Inuyasha, but never had she believe Inuyasha could love her back. If there was one thing Kikyo believed most, it was that Inuyasha loved her.

But…could she be wrong? Could things have changed so drastically?

When Kagome offered her another piece of fish, Kikyo accepted, but the undead Miko's smile felt a little more forced.

The others had finished eating, and the young kitsune had taken up falling asleep in Kagome's lap. Kagome smiled fondly at him and gently brushed his hair from his forehead.

"Did you bring those papers?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome seemed amused.

"Yeah," she replied. "They're in my backpack."

"What's a backpack?" Kikyo asked, surprising herself at her inquiry.

"It's that stupid yellow thing she carries around," Inuyasha interjected. "She always fills it with crap she doesn't need like those dumb textbooks or pencils or 'exam prep packets.' The only thing it's good for is carrying ramen and dried potatoes." Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Inuyasha," she chided. "You know I need those things for school so just cool it."

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered as he dug around in her backpack.

Kikyo hadn't understood half of the words Inuyasha had just said, and she realized that she was very out of the loop. Kagome had taught Inuyasha things that Kikyo had never even heard of, and even more…

Kagome had changed him as a person.

Kikyo had noticed the way Inuyasha interacted with his group of companions. There was a sarcastic, but harmless, comment tossed to one of them, a smirk tossed to another, warm almost-full smiles toward Kagome only, and an overall relaxed demeanor radiated from the hanyo.

Never in a million years had Kikyo ever imagined that she would see Inuyasha like this. The hanyo she had once known could hardly stand to be near anyone, and sometimes that included her.

But here he was: travelling with a group of four other people and a yokai cat all day, every day, and he seemed like it was the most natural and comfortable thing in the world.

Kikyo began to wonder if she really knew him at all anymore.

"Found them," Inuyasha announced, shaking Kikyo from her thoughts.

The hanyo walked back over to where he'd been sitting between herself and Kagome, but this time he faced Kagome and handed her a small box.

"You shuffle," he said. "I can never hold the stupid things right." Kagome laughed as she took out some small papers from the box.

Kikyo watched in awe as Kagome "shuffled" the small papers. She'd never seen anything like it, and curiosity overtook her. Kagome glanced up to see her watching, and with a smile, she spoke.

"Would you like me to teach you how to play?" she asked. "This is a game called 'Go Fish' and we use playing cards." Kikyo shook her head.

"I would like to watch," she replied. "If that's…okay with you." Keeping the smile on her face, Kagome began to pass some of the cards to Inuyasha.

Almost expertly, he held them up in front of his face and peered at them with a hard frown.

Huffing unhappily, he laid down two cards. "I only have one match," he grumbled. Kagome grinned.

"I have two," she replied. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Got any sevens?" he asked. Kagome shook her head.

"Go fish," she said. Inuyasha groaned.

Despite Inuyasha's frustration when he didn't have any "matches," Kikyo could tell he was genuinely enjoying himself. He was smirk or chuckle every so often when he had a match or when Kagome said something he thought was funny.

When the game ended, Kikyo knew that her fear had come true.

Inuyasha loved Kagome.

Maybe he didn't realize it, but she could tell. It was painfully obvious: the way he looked at her, smiled at her, and how casually he would touch her to get her attention or to just poke her to irritate her. Everything was natural with them.

Kikyo and Inuyasha had never really had that. Their relationship had been built on a shared sorrow, but never had they been as comfortable with the other as Inuyasha was with Kagome.

Inuyasha had never poked Kikyo in an attempt to purposefully annoy her or get her to laugh. He very rarely laughed around Kikyo, and she could tell that he still very seldom did it. He would chuckle occasionally though, which is more than she had ever seen.

Together, she and Inuyasha had been serious hearts facing the world together. But they lacked trust and the comfort of a solid ability to be exactly who they were with each other. Kikyo could always tell that Inuyasha was holding back some of himself from her, as if he were too scared to show her. Of course, they could understand the hardships the other faced, but Kikyo was wondering if that would have been enough in the end.

The thoughts kept running through her head. This wasn't the Inuyasha she had once known. Had she ever really known his true self?

Now…now she saw the real him.

What saddened her was that she knew what the catalyst in this change was: Kagome.

Kikyo knew she and Kagome were polar opposites, and one of the biggest differences was the acceptance Kagome had of Inuyasha's yokai side.

One of Kikyo's deepest regrets was asking Inuyasha to give up half of himself for her. In the time she'd been resurrected, she'd seen Inuyasha used his strength and yokai nature for good and to help people in need. How could she have ever wanted to take that away from him?

When Kagome began yawning and Inuyasha gruffly said, "Go to sleep, woman," Kikyo took that as a cue to go.

"I must leave," she said. "Thank you for the meal." Inuyasha looked up at her, his eyes suddenly going serious.

"I'll see you…soon?" he asked. Kikyo nodded.

"I will find you if I get any more information," she replied. Inuyasha smiled at her.

"Thanks," he said.

Bidding the group one more goodbye, Kikyo turned and began to leave.

 _Inuyasha no longer cares for me,_ she thought to herself sadly. _Is it time for me to let him go?_

She was so drowned in her sad thoughts that she almost didn't hear that familiar voice calling her name.

"Wait, Kikyo," Inuyasha said. Kikyo stopped and turned around to face him.

"What is it?" she asked. If her eyes could still produce tears, she would have cried at the look on his face.

Genuine concern.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. Kikyo nodded.

"I'll be fine," she replied. "Take care of Kagome." Inuyasha seemed surprised by her words, but he didn't answer. Instead, he pulled Kikyo into a hug.

"Come find me if you need me," he murmured into her hair. "No matter what it is." Kikyo wrapped her arms around him and nodded against his chest.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Letting go, Inuyasha stepped back and offered her a small smile.

"See you later," he said. Kikyo smiled back at him.

"See you later," she echoed.

With that, she left.

 _He does still care about me,_ she realized silently. _I can accept that our relationship has come to a close. I've seen the evidence of its ending for myself. Inuyasha loves Kagome. He is happy with her._

She sighed. _That pains me, but I know that he still cares about me. He is willing to protect me no matter what._

Kikyo found herself comforted at the thought. Inuyasha would never leave her, no matter what the circumstances were in either of their lives.

Because, really, their lives were intertwined too closely for their bond to ever break. They would defeat Naraku, and she would find peace. No longer did her past hatred for Inuyasha fuel her.

Peace did. Hope did. Love did.

And for that…Kikyo was thankful.

FIN

So quite different than what I normally do because it was from Kikyo's perspective. I'm InuKag all the way, but I wanted to kind of explore the character of Kikyo and her POV. What do you guys think?

Much love. :)


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